Pretty Please (Nightmare Hall) Read Online Free

to worry about. Don’t start obsessing about people you don’t even know. Nan’s probably right, anyway. The girl decided to go home and work at the local fast food joint.” He laughed. “I’ve thought about it a couple of times, especially around finals.”
    Jo decided Carl was right. What was she doing worrying about someone she didn’t even know when every inch of her face stung?
    People were still staring.
    Lowering her head, she hurried her steps. And changed the subject. “So,” she said, her voice unnaturally high, “is Missy worried that I’m going to sue? Or is she just going to send me a bill for the patio door?” Her laugh, too, was high and strained. “I don’t usually destroy houses I’m partying in.”
    They all laughed then, and that helped. By the time they reached room 428 at Lester, they were all laughing and talking, as if nothing horrible had happened.
    “We didn’t have time to get balloons or flowers,” Kelly apologized as she held the door open for Jo. “But I did go downstairs and get you a Coke and a glazed doughnut.”
    The snack was sitting on the table beside Jo’s bed.
    “That’s exactly what I was hoping for,” Jo said, smiling and heading for the bed. “Thanks, Kelly.”
    Reaching for the Coke, she had her back to the room when she heard a soft “oooh” of dismay behind her. Evan said, “What…?” and Carl let out a soft whistle.
    Jo turned around.
    Her eyes followed their stunned gaze…to the wide, framed mirror hanging over the large wooden dresser Jo and Kelly shared.
    The mirror was completely draped in black.

Chapter 4
    J O STARED AT THE mirror, which was covered from side to side and top to bottom with heavy black fabric. Not an inch of glass showed. When she found her voice, she questioned, “Kelly?”
    Kelly was staring at it, too. “Jo, I…” She tried again. “I…it wasn’t like this when I left the room to go downstairs. It wasn’t. I…I wouldn’t do this.”
    Jo looked at her roommate. “You didn’t do this? You weren’t trying to…protect me?”
    “Protect you? Jo, I do not think of you as needing my protection. Not even after last night. I know lots of people who would steer clear of mirrors if they’d been…banged up like you have. But you’re not one of them. I didn’t do this.”
    “It’s a joke,” Carl suggested, moving forward to tug at the black fabric. “A sick joke, I’ll give you that, but it’s got to be a joke. Maybe Missy did it.”
    “Nah.” Reed shook his head. “This isn’t her kind of thing. Besides, she probably took to her bed because her party was a disaster. We won’t see her on campus for at least three days, I guarantee it.”
    Carl was still tugging on the fabric. “Well, whoever did it,” he said, “did a good job. This stuff wasn’t just tossed over the mirror. It was glued on. Anybody got a knife?”
    Evan had a pocketknife. Opening the blade, he began to cut away the black fabric.
    Jo went over and sat down on her bed. She felt sick. “Do I really look that bad?” she asked quietly, her eyes on the floor. “All those people were staring at me…”
    They all rushed to reassure her. “Of course not, Jo. You look fine. Don’t be silly, Jo.”
    But someone thought she looked that bad. Someone thought she shouldn’t even look into a mirror.
    When Evan had stripped away the last of the fabric, he glanced around the room. “You guys have your own bathroom?” he asked.
    Kelly nodded, waving a hand toward the bathroom. “Why?” Then her face paled and she whispered, “Oh, no…”
    Evan, his mouth set grimly, turned in the direction of Kelly’s wave.
    But Jo jumped up and ran to the bathroom doorway before anyone could stop her. When she looked inside, one hand flew to her mouth. The mirror on the medicine cabinet was draped exactly as the dresser mirror had been. “Oh, I don’t believe this,” she said softly. “What is going on ?”
    Evan hurried over to gently move her away from